The Correlation Between Sleep Deprivation And Heart Disease
Posted on: 20 January 2015
If you are not getting enough sleep, it is probably not because you don't want to. It may be due to a sleep disorder that is preventing you from falling asleep or staying asleep. A lack of proper sleep can lead to so many different health problems; one of these is heart disease. If you cannot get the right amount of sleep, you should seek professional help soon.
Why Is Sleep Important?
Experts recommend that you should get eight hours of sleep each night for optimal health, but a lot of people live on much less than this. If you are getting six hours of sleep each night (or less), you are actually increasing your risks of developing heart disease and other cardiovascular disorders.
This is primarily because sleeping allows your brain to work. Your brain needs time to relax in order to prepare a strategy for the next day. Good brain health is essential for learning and problem-solving, and it also plays a huge role in your emotional state. In addition, sleep helps your body heal problems the brain detects, and it:
- Keeps your hormone levels regulated
- Controls your blood-glucose levels
- Protects and boosts your immune system
- Makes you more alert
When your body does not get enough sleep, you are placing it at risk for a variety of different problems. This not only includes physical problems, but it also includes emotional issues.
How Does It Lead To Heart Disease?
Developing heart issues is quite common in people that do not get proper sleep, and these issues often begin as high blood pressure. High blood pressure occurs for many reasons, but a common reason an elevated level of stress hormones, which is common in people that have sleep deprivation.
These stress hormones can damage the blood vessels, and the first response from the body is a rise in blood pressure. If this is not treated, it can lead to heart disease. Sleep deprivation can also lead to heart attacks, strokes, and obesity as well.
To reduce your risks of developing heart issues and other physical and emotional problems, you must find a way to get more sleep.
A good place to start when looking for a solution for this is a visit to a doctor like those at the Billings Clinic. Your doctor may try treating this problem with various types of medications, which are designed to help you fall asleep and stay asleep.
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